1957 Emergency brake repair

[bbbird57]

Hi Members.
My Emergency brake will not pull up when I try. I apply the foot brake while pulling it, but it won’t engage. Does anyone have a photo of e- brake area from inside the interior? There is a steel wheel near the e-brake that looks like it should have a cable. This is missing. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. By the way I’ve been underneath and all looked normal there. Thanks in advance.

 

[apines]

Hi Members.
My Emergency brake will not pull up when I try. I apply the foot brake while pulling it, but it won’t engage. Does anyone have a photo of e- brake area from inside the interior? There is a steel wheel near the e-brake that looks like it should have a cable. This is missing. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. By the way I’ve been underneath and all looked normal there. Thanks in advance.

I have a '55 but I'm pretty sure it's the same (someone will jump in if it isn't). A cable runs from the end of the e-brake handle's shaft through the steel pulley you noted through the firewall and back to the equalizer lever under the middle of the car. From there two cables go back, one to each rear wheel to the parking brake lever inside each rear brake. If you're missing the cable from the handle through the pulley to the equalizer bar it won't be able to engage the parking brake.

 

[jimntempe]

Don't have photo handy but there definitely should be a cable going over that steel wheel. The cable attaches to the end of the metal stalk that you pull on.

 

[Ward 57]

Interesting. You are correct that the cable should roll over the grooved wheel. Get underneath and see if there is still the equalizing 'U' to the cables that go to the rear drums. What is left on the car? Some PB Blaster on the pull mechanism should free it up. Work it in until it moves again. Then you can move on to the rest of the cables. Apparently nobody ever used it and left to rot. Not a hard project but have to put it up on 4 jack stands and search and lubricate everything that is still there. Good winter project.
The issues of the steering column adjustments frozen is also an issue of never being used. As the old saying goes, 'Use it or loose it' applies.

 

[jimntempe]

I bought the replacement cable that goes between the stalk and wherever it connects down under. Turned out I didn't need it. I'd sell it for less than you'd pay "retail" if you wind up needing one.

 

[bbbird57]

Thanks for the answers. After closer exam I do have the cable in the pulley. I need to get underneath and lube and try to loosen the cable . Yes, a good winter project.

 

[Ward 57]

More detail please. You say you now don't' need the cable from the handle over the wheel, down through the tube to the 'U' equalizing bracket? Mine froze up too but lubing the cable through the tube to the underside freed up mine and handle slide . Still some more binding as it doesn't want to release fully until it moves.

 

[jimntempe]

More detail please. You say you now don't' need the cable from the handle over the wheel, down through the tube to the 'U' equalizing bracket? Mine froze up too but lubing the cable through the tube to the underside freed up mine and handle slide . Still some more binding as it doesn't want to release fully until it moves.

You probably just need to work more oil into the cable housing. From what I've read it's a bear to replace these. In my case mine was frozen as yours apparently was. I was working on the regular brakes and took the car out for a drive and did several very hard stops. When I got home I discovered the emergency brake worked again!!! It would seem some part of the brakes other than the e brake cable had frozen from disuse, perhaps the part inside the drum got rusted to the backing plate or side of the brake shoe and the hard stops moved stuff around enough to break the rust free.

 

[wingfoot]

How does the emergency brake on a 1957 operate? I’ve tried nothing seems to be frozen but it won’t set

 

[jsonny]

Hi Members.
My Emergency brake will not pull up when I try. I apply the foot brake while pulling it, but it won’t engage. Does anyone have a photo of e- brake area from inside the interior? There is a steel wheel near the e-brake that looks like it should have a cable. This is missing. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. By the way I’ve been underneath and all looked normal there. Thanks in advance.

I just replace a non-existent brake cable that runs from the parking brake handle to the two rear brake cable connection. You can look on the web at numerous T-Bird part sites, Larry's, Concourse, NPD, etc., and find the part. I ordered mine from Concours:
Concours part no: 2853 Park Brake Cable, https://concoursparts.com/ , $31.75 + Ship $10.88 = Total: $42.63. Expensive but they ship the same day if you get it ordered in time.

 

[55blacktie]

bbird57, I strongly recommend that you buy the reproduction Ford 1957 Service Manual; it's available from all of the Thunderbird parts suppliers. Also, search the net for images that show the routing of the cables.

 

[jimntempe]

How does the emergency brake on a 1957 operate? I’ve tried nothing seems to be frozen but it won’t set

From looking at mine there is a cable that runs from the "T" handle under the dash down and back where it connects to a lever bar. That bar then pulls an equalized cable tight. That equalized cable's ends connect to the levers on each of the rear brake assemblies. There is an adjustment where that lever near the middle of the car is. Mine was basically non-functional and I had to tighten it at that lever. There is no other adjustment as far as I can tell.

 

[doug7740]

How does the emergency brake on a 1957 operate? I’ve tried nothing seems to be frozen but it won’t set

After you read the attached article you will understand how the parking brake operates.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[wingfoot]

Thanks for the info on the 1957 em brake. Found frozen rod on inside of car plus frozen cable in the tube leaving the inside. Brake does work

 

[55blacktie]

I don't remember how I did it, but I was able to remove the ball-end of the front parking-brake cable without removing the retaining pin that prevents the shaft from being pulled out of the tube; nothing was damaged in the process. Has anyone managed to attach the ball-end of the cable without removing the pin?

Also, how were you able to install the pulley cover, which is held in place by the firewall cover and a clip that attaches to the pulley cover on one end and the PB assembly tube on the other?

 

[55blacktie]

It is not necessary to punch out the retaining pin to remove/install the front cable. You can lift up the spring-loaded PB ratchet pawl enough to move the shaft forward enough to expose the pocket for the cable ball. It was probably easier to figure out while the cable was still attached.